title: Supplement use among a culturally diverse group of low-income pregnant women.
abstract: Among a culturally diverse group of 344 low-income pregnant women, self-reported rates of supplement use prior to confirmation of pregnancy were much lower than those reported for young women in national surveys (16% vs. up to 40%, respectively). Prenatal vitamins, prescribed routinely for all patients, were reportedly taken at least four times a week by 86% of the subjects and two to three times a day by 5%. About 5% of the sample reported consuming highly fortified cereal at least once daily. There is a possibility of higher than recommended use of supplemental vitamins among these women resulting from misunderstanding of the number of pills to be taken and/or high consumption of highly fortified cereals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Child Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02155.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Suitor
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004435:Eating; D002523:Edible Grain; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012646:Self Administration; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D007501:Iron